[MetalMX]

I was very ill for 3-4 months last year due to doctors not knowing **** about anything... im 19 years old, 192cm around 95kgs, male and my life has taken a turn for the worst apparently from all the investigations i have done nothing is wrong with me! its horrible the following started 7 months ago first i had a million different symptoms then right now these are the only ones.


Note:

This all started after i had used injectable anabolic steroids as well as oral steroids + arimidex to control estrogen + other bodybuilding type drugs clenbuterol, DNP etc...


Symptoms:

* lethargy and fatigue all the time (no energy to do much of anything)
* Muscle soreness and cramping when i try to lift something and hold it for a while like carrying shopping bags my arm gets very sore quickly and i have to drop whatever im holding, huge reduction in muscle strength.
* bone pain all over sometimes and clicking/cracking of the joints, bones in the lower legs feel a bit painful and tender to the touch
* occassionally difficulty breathing, hard to breathe in deeply.
* loss of appetite and weight loss of 13kgs in 3 months
* sore throat, tingling in the nose and throat.
* reduction in the sense of touch.
* Periods where i felt i couldnt breathe, move or speak.
* Tingling in hands and feet and behind the thighs
* Always dehydrated and thirsty
* when eating food feels like its getting stuck sometimes or something is obstructing the stomach inside me.
* recent eye irriation like an infection.
* sometimes very cold hands and feet and chills (freezing cold) feels immune related body fighting something.
* Symptoms of psychosis and losing your mind
* Swelling of the face and body.

Current symptoms:

Some degree of Immune weakness (as shown by my t-cell count)
Muscle weakness.
Feeling ill often with middle ear infections and mild fevers.
Dizziness.
Reduction in the sense of touch.
Loss of smell and taste to some degree.
Arthritic symptoms at times
Fatigue, chronic at times.


Investigations:

* complete blood counts always appear normal, sometimes elevated lymphocytes and white cells suggesting infection, at present white cells are on the low side 5.0 (4.0 - 11.0)

* High IgE levels of 3810 normal range is 0-100 (immunologist said these symptoms cannot be caused by ige levels).... very allergic to dust mites and common grasses, take anti-histamine every day.

* Food sensitivity tests done and now avoiding any foods im sensitive to but it appears i'm not sensitive to many not even wheat

* Cytotoxic chemical sensitivity showed immune reaction to ammonium chloride (ammoniac), lynene and chloroform.

* DEXA scan showed normal Bone mineral density besides (low normal density in the spine)

* Lung function tests (spirometry) normal done requested by chest specialist

* CT scan of the chest showed residual thymic tissue but within normal limits for a patient of my age everything else normal.

* Abdominal ultrasound normal besides right kidney 13.5cm and left kidney 9.9cm

* colonoscopy normal and gastroscopy showed mild chronic gastritis and inflamed red mucosa (focal erosion noted) and endoscopy showed mild inflammation of the small intestine.

* endoscopy apparently normal besides mild inflammation ( according to them)

* endocrine problems (low thyroid thyroid peroxide autoantibodies elevated, low testosterone) - had these for a while so its definitly not whats causing symptoms although might be adding to it.

* Cortisol Synacthen test (acth stimulation test) normal

* Delayed sleep phase cycle (getting up 3-4 times a night sometimes to eat) like night eating syndrome) for the past 3 years. Low Growth hormone levels probably due to this, note i am very tall 192cm so i must've had high GH levels sometime in my life.

About to do a sleep study.

* random blood sugar test normal (3.4 - 7.0 ) mine is 3.9

* glucose tolerance test apparently normal

* All Autoimmune testing normal ANCA and ANA antibodies all normal as well as protein electrophores and rheumatoid factor normal!

* MRI of pituitary all normal

* Stool tests all normal no bacteria or parasites!



So basically i had no help from doctors.

So i did a hair mineral analysis. Found out i had elevated mercury levels 2.4 (0.0 - 0.6). Most likely from the steroids.

I also believe all my symptoms are due to B12 deficiency and yet my doctor still wont treat it! Im dong Urine MMA test to see if this is true. I DO NOT BELIEVE IN BLOOD B12 levels they are useless as they can be low normal or high and not represent what is happening in the cells. According to all the symptoms in wikipedia it is very indicative.

I now have a few things which i know are wrong:

1. genetic mutations caused by the steroid use
2. Vitamin B12 deficiency due to mild chronic gastritis/malabsorbtion
3. Elevated mercury will cause immune suppression.
4. Severe candida overgrowth causing another 10-15 symptoms which are now gone since ive controlled this with nilstat medication and diet/herbal therapy.
5. Quite bad hormonal problems - in the process of testing
6. night eating syndrome (sleep-wake cycle altered)
7. Malabsorbtion

I am presently on:

High doses of probiotics + Lactoferrin
Astra 8 Immune Tonic - To boost immunity
Intravenous Vitamin C - 30grams a week or every two weeks.
Vitamin B12 Sublingual 1000mcg per day
Antioxidant tonic - milk thistle, ginko biloba, bilberry etc.
Chromium, Manganese due to deficiency. from hair analysis

I now feel pretty ok or a more tolerable state then before. The B12 i think has really helped. Im just wondering since i have been taking Sublingual B12 1000mcg for 3 weeks now will this alter my Urine Methymalonic acid levels?

My doc doesnt want to prescribe me B12 injections until he sees those tests.

Also what tests can i do for malabsorbtion?

I had to start taking it because the longer i didnt the more damage is done to my nerves and i already have muscle weakness and sense of touch reduction, constipation so even more damage couldve been done unless i had taken action.

Anyway this all started in august of last year and was a hell ride i basically went to the ER every second day and i could breathe!!! along with 50 other symptoms i though i would not make it and die but i did and have basically figured out what is going on my own.

Just wanted to share this story with everyone.

Any advice or anything would be good.

[BlueMajo]

Hello MetalMX.

Welcome here. Sorry to hear you are suffering all this...

Hum, all I can say, I had several of the symptoms you have/had like "Reduction in the sense of touch, muscle weakness, bone/joint pains, immune problems" and it turned out to be hypothiroidism, fibromyalgia and ostheoarthritis... How nice eh ?

Doc gave me Fluoxac, Eutirox, Lyrica, Celebrex, B complex and Zinc... Nice combo !!!

They worked !!! My strong aches, my weakness etc, finally stoped after 5 years with them...

Im now taking only my B complex and Im feeling good these days.... You mentioned B12 is helping you too, which is nice to read.

About the mercury, perhaps your doc can give you something to help desintoxicating you ??? You could try cranberry capsules... they help desintoxicating our body.

Cheers.
Majo.

[MetalMX]

Originally Posted by BlueMajo

Hello MetalMX.

Welcome here. Sorry to hear you are suffering all this...

Hum, all I can say, I had several of the symptoms you have/had like "Reduction in the sense of touch, muscle weakness, bone/joint pains, immune problems" and it turned out to be hypothiroidism, fibromyalgia and ostheoarthritis... How nice eh ?

Doc gave me Fluoxac, Eutirox, Lyrica, Celebrex, B complex and Zinc... Nice combo !!!

They worked !!! My strong aches, my weakness etc, finally stoped after 5 years with them...

Im now taking only my B complex and Im feeling good these days.... You mentioned B12 is helping you too, which is nice to read.

About the mercury, perhaps your doc can give you something to help desintoxicating you ??? You could try cranberry capsules... they help desintoxicating our body.

Cheers.
Majo.

Thanks for the reply.

I am pondering over many things and in my case their are many variables.

For example i have low testosterone and hypothyroidism for a while now as well as low DHEA and some other hormones so it could be my body just "snapped" and couldnt take it anymore with these low hormones and arthritic symptoms, muscle weakness etc. are developing.

Also it could be that i have developed some sort of immune deficiency and through this because bacteria use up a lot of Vitamin B12 and synthesise folate that my B12 levels become low and cause illness specifically nerve damage since low B12 will cause nerve damage to the CNS including sensory, autonomic nerves etc.... atributing all my symptoms to this.

And yes mercury is a whole other ball game. Which can literally cause hundreds of symptoms and including that of B12 deficiency and hormone problems themselves. Depleting the bodys glutathione levels then creating too many oxidants etc...

Have you ever got your hormones tested?

If you have hypothyroidism you should be treated with T3/T4 medication. making sure to check you T.S.H, Free T3 and Free T4 levels as well as other hormones Testosterone, Estradiol, DHEA's, Cortisol, ACTH, IGF-1, GH etc...

I have quite a good knowledge base about a lot of things so dont hesitate to ask me as i am sure i can help you in someway and you can help me in another.

[MetalMX]

Originally Posted by BlueMajo

Hello MetalMX.

Welcome here. Sorry to hear you are suffering all this...

Hum, all I can say, I had several of the symptoms you have/had like "Reduction in the sense of touch, muscle weakness, bone/joint pains, immune problems" and it turned out to be hypothiroidism, fibromyalgia and ostheoarthritis... How nice eh ?

Doc gave me Fluoxac, Eutirox, Lyrica, Celebrex, B complex and Zinc... Nice combo !!!

They worked !!! My strong aches, my weakness etc, finally stoped after 5 years with them...

Im now taking only my B complex and Im feeling good these days.... You mentioned B12 is helping you too, which is nice to read.

About the mercury, perhaps your doc can give you something to help desintoxicating you ??? You could try cranberry capsules... they help desintoxicating our body.

Cheers.
Majo.

Fibromyalgia usually comes about after some viral infection your body cannot handle. Most viruses are caught in the nerves and produce symptoms.

I wouldnt ever take antidepressants personally they made me a lot worse and doctors simply push to treat your symptoms with anti-depressants, painkillers etc. while not having the time to find the cause.

[BlueMajo]

Hey, hope you are doing fine today.

Yeah, my hypothyroidism is being treated with Eutirox (from Merck) which is levotiroxine... I take one of 50 micrograms per day...

My TSH levels were high... that's why...

I think my estradiol levels are low too... but havent been tested.

About my fibro, well, I dont know if it was caused by a virus or not... I thoguht that theory wasnt sure yet, but well, virus have always been very nasty in my body... I dont know what was first: Fibro makes virus worse, or, virus produced my fibro...

I dont care that much in the cause but in the solution, so, yeah, I have been aches free for a while which is good.

My depression has some ups and downs, but Im way better than when I went to see my doc and he gave me my antidepressants... Im back to life thanks to my fluoxetine. Before it I only wanted to die, cried 24 hrs a day and stayed in bed in a very dark room all time...

Hope you start feeling better soon.

[mrsD]

inflamed small intestine and stomach mucosa= gluten intolerance/Celiac

Visit our Gluten board for the proper tests.
The Gluten file is in the first posts at the top of the page.

Inflamed GI mucosa= malabsorption.

[watsonsh]

Sounds like there could be an underlying adrenal insufficiency that does not allow your body to normalize so you can upregulate.

[MetalMX]

Originally Posted by mrsD

inflamed small intestine and stomach mucosa= gluten intolerance/Celiac

Visit our Gluten board for the proper tests.
The Gluten file is in the first posts at the top of the page.

Inflamed GI mucosa= malabsorption.

I have low Anti-gialdin antibodies. I have been tested for gluten intolerance. I know i am allergic to wheat, dairy and soy among other things beer, coffee which i avoid. I am not allergic to gluten.

[MetalMX]

Originally Posted by Shelley

Sounds like there could be an underlying adrenal insufficiency that does not allow your body to normalize so you can upregulate.

Well i have tested negative to addisons disease but i probably have adrenal fatigue. I might possibly have some sort of adrenal insufficency due to the kind of stressful lifestyle i was living (bodybuilding etc.) but im at the moment in the process of testing my hormones through saliva Total testosterone, E2 - Estradiol, DHEA's and Cortisol at 4 points in the day 6am, 12pm, 6pm and 10pm.

Appreciate the input.

[Buffheart]

How are things now?